Pocket-knife.



PATBNTED AUG. 18., 1903.

l E. KAUPMANN.

POCKET KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED rma. 1a, 190s.

N0 MODEL.

Patented August 18, 1903.

ATENT` OFFICE.

ERNST. KAUFMANN, OF SOLINGEN, GERMANY.

POCKET-iKNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming* part 0f Letters Patent N 0. 736,525, dated August 18, 1903.

Application led February 18, 1903. Serial No. 143,924. (No model.)

To CLM w/zom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, ERNST KAUFMANN, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Solingen,Germany,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Knives, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of the present invention is a knife-for example, a pocket-knife-in which the blades are caused to spring open under the effect of springs, which springs also hold them fast in the open or closed position.

The essential novelty of the invention lies in that part of the device which actuates the spring locking the blade, so that the spring can be either engaged with or disengaged from the heel of the blade. the form of a two-armed lever lying between the frame-plates of the knife and formed with a fork upon the end lying toward the bladepivot. Vithin this fork works a pin secured upon the back-spring, so that upon moving thelever out of its normal position the pin, and consequently the back-spring, will be moved with it.

Aknife embodying this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows the knife with the blade closed; Fig. 2, the same with the blade partly open. Fig. 3 shows the blade quite open. Fig. 4c is a back View of the knife when open, and Fig. 5 shows the lever-piece by itself.

The knife-frame is formed, as usual, of two plates d and h, Fig. 4, provided with any suitable covering. Between these lies the blade k, turning on the pin g. This blade in the closed position is under the influence of the spring m, lying opposite its cutting edge, but when open is held bythe back-spring f. The blade 7c has at its heel on the edge side of the blade a projection c, against which the backspring f presses when the blade is closed, Fig. l, and has also a recess Z at the back of the heel, in which the springfengages when the blade is open. Both springs are secured at the back of the frame, and while the spring m projects with its free end into the handle the springfis again connected with a handle by the pin t. Toward the blade end the springf carries a pin z at right angles to it. Upon the outside of the plates b are the two pieces .fc and y, with curved edges. Between the plate b and its cover lies the lever It, the

This part takes profile of which is such that it fits easily between the projections m' and y'. At the rear end the lever h has a thickened portion t', which fills a corresponding space cut in the covering of the handle. The front end lying toward the pivot g' is fork-shaped and embraces the pin z.

The knife is used as follows: When in the` closed position, the sprin gf, as already stated, locks the blade 7c by pressing against the projection c and the spring mis loaded. If now the part fr' is pushed from the position shown in Fig. 1 into that shown in Fig. 2, it will take with it the pin s, and the springf will be pressed backward out of engagement with the projection c, so that the blade acts under the influence of the spring fm and springs open. The back-spring f can now engage in the recess Z as soon as the lever 71. is allowed to return to its normal position and the blade is locked, Fig. 3. To close the knife, the lever h is pushed aside in exactly the same manner, the spring f being thus disengaged, the blade is closed, and the lever takes up its former position.

The fork-shaped formation of the lever h is not an essential feature of the present inven- Lion; but the connection between the lever h and the springf may be effected in any suitable way.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A pocket-knife comprising a handle, a blade pivotally mounted in the handle, a spring disposed Within the handle and adapted to bear with its end upon the blade to hold the latter in open or closed position, a second spring disposed within the handle and adapted to bear upon the blade in its closed position and to move the blade upon its pivot when the holding-spring is disengaged, a pin upon the first-named spring, a lever disposed within the handle and adapted for operation to disengage the holdingspring from the blade.

2. A knife comprising a handle having a blade pivotally mounted therein, said blade having a notch in the rear portion of its heel and a projection upon the front portion thereof, a spring disposed within the handle and adapted to lie with its end in engagement with the projection upon the knife when the IOO latter is in its closed position and having a projection upon the end thereof for engagement with the notch of the knife-blade when the latter is in its open position, a pin upon the spring, a notched lever disposed With its notch engaged upon the pin and adapted for operation to move the spring out of engagement with the blade.

3. A knife comprising a handlecomposed of two side members having connected means, one of said members having a diagonal passage through the thickness thereof, a blade pivotally mounted in the handle and having a notch in the rear portion of its heel and a projection upon the front portion thereof, a

l spring disposed within the handle and adapt- `my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

. ERNST KAUFMANN.

Witnesses:

VICTOR W. HELDT, G. A. BREN. 

